Speaker Series: Judge Katzmann Comes to Town

Posted on May 4, 2017 ·

by Blake Willis, Class of 2018

One of the perks of being in law school, especially at William & Mary, is being able to hear from practitioners about their experiences in the practice of law. During the first week of April, Judge Robert Katzmann, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit paid a visit to Williamsburg. Judge Katzmann spoke to several groups including a lunch-time talk regarding pro bono work and immigration law, as well as a class lecture regarding legislative and statutory interpretation.

Judge Katzmann has been on the bench since 1999, and has been the Chief Judge of the Second Circuit since 2013. He has published numerous books related to the Courts and Congress and how Courts around the US, especially the Courts of Appeals and Supreme Court approach statutory interpretation – a growing area of scholarship in the law.

As a student, there are few experiences more valuable than listening to a judge, especially one of this esteem, speak about their experiences on the bench. In his discussion related to legislative interpretation, Judge Katzmann spoke with students regarding his theories of interpretation as well as those commonly used by other Judges around the U.S. He also provided insight into his experiences in scholarship and provided tips for students who are aspiring to litigate in their careers. This insight surely did not fall on deaf ears. Students could ask probing questions and interact with the Judge in a non-court setting, which is truly a unique experience.